Awards Daily was started in 1999 by Sasha Stone, a writer for entertainment industry magazines who had previously worked for Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and The Wrap.

In 2006, it was renamed Awards Daily after the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences sued Stone for copyright infringement due to the use of Oscarwatch as the site's name for eight years prior.

[2] Awards Daily started holding an annual poll that recognizes excellence in both American and international film and television.

[6] It was profiled by Boris Kachka in New York Magazine about the growing industry of Oscar punditry, which Awards Daily helped launch.

[7] In 2024, three contributors to Awards Daily left the website to found a new site named The Contenders, in response to Stone's shift in political views toward supporting Donald Trump.